The present invention generally relates to the field of underwater vehicle propulsion. More specifically, the invention details a turbo-hydroduct propulsion system for use within a high speed underwater vehicle.
Present underwater propulsion concepts are all poorly suited for high-speed, intermediate-range underwater vehicles. Propulsor-driven systems such as pumpjets, counter-rotating propellers, and supercavitating propellers are capable of long-range operations but are limited to moderate speeds, because they require excessively large power plants for high-speed operation. Rocket propulsion systems, on the other hand, are capable of very high speeds, but their applications are limited to short-range operations because of their inherently low propulsion efficiencies.